Israeli soldiers open fire on visiting British MPs

Parliamentarians demand an investigation into the 'lunatic' behaviour of defence forces at Rafah refugee camp, where two British protesters were shot dead last year.

A group of British parliamentarians have demanded an investigation into the "lunatic" behaviour of Israeli soldiers after they were shot at during a tour of Gaza's Rafah refugee camp, the site of two fatal shootings of British citizens since April last year.

Huw Irranca-Davies, a member of Labour Friends of Israel, Crispin Blunt, the Conservative MP for Reigate, and Lady Northover, the Liberal Democrat international development spokeswoman, faced machine gunfire from an army observation post as they walked in an area that has been cleared of buildings by Israeli bulldozers.

The parliamentarians had been standing close to the spot where Tom Hurndall, a British peace activist, was shot and fatally wounded in April last year. They had arrived in clearly marked United Nations vehicles. They were accompanied by UN officials and surrounded by about 20 children aged three to 15.

One bullet slammed into a wall 10ft above Lady Northover's head, showering her with plaster. Mr Blunt, a former soldier, was furious. "Why should we be driven away from seeing the results of outrageous behaviour of the Israeli army in destroying these homes? If they are prepared to do this to people who come out of two clearly marked UN cars, what do they do when there is no one there?

"It seems that the Israeli Defence Force follows a policy of shooting first, asking afterwards. This just borders on the lunatic. They are building up levels of hatred that will take decades, if not centuries, to erase."

Mr Blunt said: "There was a short burst of automatic fire, about four or five rounds. They weren't aimed shots. My assumption is that they were fired into the air to suggest that we weren't wanted. Our UN escort identified where the rounds had come from and suggested we leave.

"As Lady Northover and a photographer got close to the cars, a bullet struck the building 10ft above their heads and the plaster dropped at their feet. I think this was an aimed shot designed to miss but speed us on our way.

"I was in a T-shirt and slacks. The observation post could have had no doubt that there was absolutely no threat from this group of people."

The politicians planned to raise the issue with Simon Macdonald, the British ambassador to Israel, and will demand an explanation from the Israeli ambassador in London on their return today. Mr Irranca-Davies, the Labour MP for Ogmore, said: "It was entirely indefensible. We weren't walking out into the open zones. We were walking between buildings and we were there with a group of children."

The incident is the latest involving soldiers in Rafah. Apart from Mr Hurndall, a British filmmaker, James Miller, was also shot dead by Israeli soldiers there last year. Many Palestinians have also been killed or injured.